Thursday, October 13, 2011

Always listen to your kids intuitions

Last year as we were looking for a Middle School for my daughter I was looking out for Art Schools because my daughter is very into Art. However there where only two art schools that would be available for my daughter to apply to and they were both pretty far from my house.
A neighbor mentioned a school MS 51 that had a big art program and it was very close to my home, yet not in the same district. I was told that I could just go to the Dept of Education and appeal the case and try to convince them to let my daughter into that school.
I thought it was worth the shot. I decided to go to the school's Open House and take my daughter to see if she liked the school and to talk to the principal to see what our options were.
After the Open House was over I asked my daughter if she liked the school. She said that she didn't want to go to that school, that somehow when she went into the school she had a bad vibe, she had a bad feeling as if something bad had happened to her in that school. And yes, I did say that in the past tense. She did feel as if in the past something bad had happened to her there even if that was the first time we ever went to the school.
At this moment I had to make a decision. Should I push my daughter to apply to this school or should I just let it go an not even bother applying.
Well, I decided  to let it go. I went with her gut feeling and did not apply.

Today, one year later I read this article in Yahoo News:

Latin Kings street gang makes Park Slope junior high’s handball courts home base

With this I just realized that if I had not listened to my daughters intuition and pushed her to go to this school who supposedly is in a much better neighborhood than where we live in, then I would have had a heart attack today just to think that my daughter was exposed to gang activity in her own school. I thanked God for giving me the wisdom to listen to my daughter's gut feeling.

I make a call out to everyone out there to listen to your own gut feeling, and if your daughter or son ever tell you that something just doesn't feel right, listen to them, even if it doesn't make any sense at the moment.

It could save your life, or to say the least, a lot of suffering and/or aggravation.
Have you ever had a story similar to this, whether you chose to listen to your instincts or not. I want to hear your story! :)

6 comments:

  1. Laura.....I am so glad you wrote this article.....Because there are times that I tell you things and you give me the look ....like OMG!!!! But I do not know if is us ....but we as a family since day one we have that 6th sense alert and I am happy that you listen to Gaby....Sometimes we say things and see way before things happen and as you mention in your article.....sometimes we really do not understand at the moment but eventually we will.

    There are many situations with the girls and you that I alert you and you simply did not believe and I think because of my experience when I was a child and as a Pre K Teacher and as your mother ....that gives me all the tools to express my concerns.

    Remember the day the sky was really dark .... a lot of dark clouds and lightning ...I told you Laurita ...please do not go to the Supermarket is really scary and your answer to me was....is near and nothing is going to happen....Laurita...You was a LUCKY GIRL....the Tornado at New York City 2009 pass you bye while you was at the Supermarket and the heavy wood top part of the tower went down like paper and slam at the entrance of your building because of the winds. That very same entrance that you pass few minutes before. The girls after that ....they listen to me because I was assertive in my worries for your safety.

    The other was the night you want to go to the Laundromat ....the sky was scary with lightning and I told you Laurita please.....and you told me again....is near , nothing is going to happen....The girls ....specially Gaby got so scared that she beg you to stay and you did. Less than a minute later HAIL that cover the entire parking floor .....streets and roofs....destroy trees ,cars and plants....that was crazy....I am glad you stay....=)

    To be a responsible parent is to listen ....not just words but to observe body language......I am very glad I was for you and for the girls for 3 years....at the end was for the best interest of your family happiness.

    Big Hugs....and a Happy Life.....with NO skeletons inside the closets....=)Happy that we can talk anything.....=)Ma-Buela....

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  2. There are two great things about this post. The first is that your daughter felt comfortable enough to tell you how she felt about the school, and the second was that you had enough trust in her to take her insight seriously. And thankfully, it was a good decision not to send her there! I, myself, have had dreams about places where bad things happened days later, and it's an eerie feeling. How does she like the school she's in now?

    Gina from vB
    www.totallyfullofit.com

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  3. WOW, that's pretty intense. I like what you said GJT, it's great that you have that relationship with your daughter, that you two can trust each other on important decisions like that!
    Praise God you made the right decision!

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  5. My daughter likes her new school. It is an A school for the past 4 years, it is a small school but it gives individualized education and I like it.

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  6. Bonny, I have been a follower of your page for a while now. :) Thanks for the follow!

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